Monday, January 19, 2026

The Obtain: next-gen nuclear, and the info heart backlash


The must-reads

I’ve combed the web to search out you in the present day’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.

1 Iran is systematically crippling Starlink
The satellite tv for pc web service is supposed to be inconceivable to jamhowever the Iranian authorities are doing simply that. (Remainder of World)  
Messages getting round Iran’s web block recommend that 1000’s of individuals have been killed. (NYT $)
On the bottom in Ukraine’s largest Starlink restore store. (MIT Expertise Assessment)

2 Research claiming microplastics hurt us are being referred to as into query
Some scientists say the discoveries are most likely the results of contamination and false positives. (The Guardian

3 Trump is attempting to mood the info heart backlash 
He hopes cajoling tech firms to pay extra and thus cut back folks’s power payments will do the trick. (WP $) 
Microsoft has simply change into the primary tech firm to vow it’ll do exactly that. (NYT $)
We all know AI is energy hungry. However simply how massive is the size of the issue? (MIT Expertise Assessment

4 US emissions jumped final yr
Because of a mix of rising electrical energy demand, and extra coal being burned to satisfy it. (NYT $)
However it’s not all unhealthy information: coal energy era in India and China lastly began to say no. (The Guardian)
4 shiny spots in local weather information in 2025. (MIT Expertise Assessment)

5 Elon Musk must face penalties for his actions
If we tolerate him unleashing a flood of harassment of ladies and kids, what is going to come subsequent? (The Atlantic $) 
The US Senate has handed a invoice that would give non-consensual deepfake victims a brand new approach to struggle again. (The Verge $)

6 Why the US is ready to lose the race again to the moon 🚀🌔
Cuts to NASA aren’t serving to, however they’re not the one drawback. (Wired $)

7 Google’s Veo AI mannequin can now flip portrait photographs into vertical movies
Actually slick ones, too. (The Verge $)
AI-generated influencers are sharing pretend photographs of them in mattress with celebrities on Instagram. (404 Media $)

8 Former NYC mayor Eric Adams has been accused of a crypto ‘pump and dump’ 
He promoted a token that noticed its market cap briefly soar to $580 million earlier than plummeting. (Coindesk)

9 Are you a center supervisor? Right here’s some excellent news for you
Your expertise aren’t being changed by AI any time quickly. (Quartz

10 Even miniscule way of life tweaks can prolong your lifespan
A examine of 60,000 adults discovered just a bit bit extra sleep and train makes an enormous distinction. (New Scientist $)
Growing old hits us in our 40s and 60s. However well-being doesn’t should fall off a cliff. (MIT Expertise Assessment)

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